Entergy: 'If someone demands payment, hang up the phone'

Entergy

Entergy

Monday, July 1, 2013 - 5:22pm

Louisiana — There have been multiple reports of a scam targeting Entergy customers in Louisiana. The con artist gives you a call and says that your electric bill payment is past due, and that your service will be disconnected within the hour if you don’t pay up. Then you are directed to transfer funds electronically, sometimes through the system known as “MoneyPak.”

Entergy doesn’t want you to fall victim to this scam and reminds you:

While the company does place courtesy calls if you are at risk for disconnection, these are recorded calls, and are not calls from live customer service representatives. Entergy NEVER demands immediate payment.
While you may pay your Entergy bill by phone or credit card, it is ONLY through BillMatrix, a third-party vendor we use for this purpose.
You shouldn’t give your personal information to strangers. If a call sounds suspicious, call 1-800-ENTERGY (1-800-368-3749) to speak with an Entergy customer service representative.
Also, you can manage your Entergy account and review account alert options to stay better informed by downloading the free Entergy smart phone app or visiting entergy.com to register for myAccount.

You should only use authorized methods and legitimate banking information to pay your Entergy bill. We offer several convenient ways:

Pay online – For no additional charge, you may securely log in to myAccount at entergy.com to conveniently pay your bill online.
Pay by phone – You may pay your bill by credit card, debit card or electronic check by calling Entergy’s pay-by-phone provider, BillMatrix, at 1-800-584-1241. BillMatrix charges a $2.95 service fee.
Walk-in payment centers – Want to pay in person? You may pay your bill by cash, check or money order at an authorized Quick Payment Center in your community, or at one of the two Entergy Customer Care Centers in New Orleans. A convenience fee may apply.
Bank draft – You can avoid late fees by having your Entergy payment automatically deducted from your checking account each month. Entergy will mail a monthly billing statement to you for your records, showing the bill amount and bank draft date.
Pay by mail – You can send a check by U.S. Mail to the remittance address shown on your bill.
If you believe you’re a victim of this scam, you should notify the proper authorities, such as the local police or the state attorney general’s office. If you believe your Entergy account has been affected, call 1-800-ENTERGY (1‑800‑368‑3749) to speak with an Entergy customer service representative.

Entergy New Orleans, Inc. is an electric and gas utility that serves Louisiana’s Orleans Parish. The company provides electricity to more than 169,000 customers and natural gas to more than 100,000 customers. Entergy New Orleans is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation, which celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2013.

Entergy's Louisiana utility companies serve more than one million customers through the operating companies Entergy Louisiana, LLC and Entergy Gulf States Louisiana, L.L.C. With operations in southern, central and northeastern Louisiana, the companies are part of Entergy Corporation's electric system serving 2.8 million customers in Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi and Texas.

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